Makoto Niijima Week 2018
by May Yuki
Summary: Compilation of my fanfics for Makoto Niijima week!
1. Dumpster Diving (Prompt: Buchimaru)

**First time trying out a week challenge. This is day 1 of the Makoto Niijima Week!**

 **Day 1: Buchimaru**

* * *

Where is it? Where? _Where_? Makoto scolds herself as she digs through her bag, normally not one to easily lose things. She unpacks nearly everything, laying them all out before her on a desk in the student council room.

She sighs, putting her head in her hands. Makoto sits there, trying to retrace her steps.

She'd been in class all day and obviously _would_ put it back into her bag when she heads off for lunch. She normally takes lunch here so maybe it's in here? She glances around the room, hoping to see even a hint of it peeking out from somewhere.

Once that fails, she starts going through the desks and shelves in the room. She tries to slow herself down but she can feel her anxiety start to increase.

After turning the room upside down, she sits down. Where did it go? She could try to ask her classmates if they've seen it but the majority of them still don't really interact with her.

The door to the council room slides open and Makoto turns around, seeing Akira. "Oh, Akira. What are you doing here?"

"The others wanted to get together for a study session. Didn't you get the texts?" Only now does Makoto check her phone. She had been so busy looking for it that she completely disregarded everything else.

She quickly scrolls through the chat, skimming the messages. Her heart swells for a moment, knowing that there are people worried for her as she goes through the chat. She didn't realize how concerned they were just because she wasn't responding for a couple hours. "Sorry, I was busy looking for something."

"Did you find it?"

Makoto shakes her head sadly. "I have no idea where it is. I've spent the past hour looking around the council room but I still haven't found it."

"I can help you look elsewhere." Akira is already halfway out the door.

"Thank you," Makoto follows closely behind him, her heart racing out of fear of having lost it.

* * *

Makoto puts the boxes back into their place dejectedly. She and Akira had spent the entire afternoon looking for it; Akira had even contacted the others to help them look around the building but they still hadn't found it.

She lets out a frustrated sigh. How could she have been so careless? She hears the door slide open again. "Oh, Niijima! You're still here!"

"Kawakami-senpai? What are you doing here?" Makoto's eyes widen. "Oh, I'm sorry! It's just that you normally don't come here."

Kawakami dismisses it, clearly not too concerned. "I passed by Kurusu and he mentioned that he was looking for something. He mentioned that he'd already looked in here, but I wanted to try myself."

"I see. Well, he was helping me look for my pencil case."

"Oh the Buchimaru pencil case? Is it an old one?"

"Yes! Have you seen it?" Hope begins to swell within Makoto.

Kawakami hesitates and Makoto could feel that same hope burst. "I…think I saw it in one of the trash cans. A student must have thought it was an old case and accidentally threw it aw-"

She doesn't finish her sentence but Makoto has already charged out of the room, making a beeline for the dumpster.

* * *

Makoto collapses against the dumpster, grime all over her clothing but her hands clutched tightly to the object she had been searching all day for: her Buchimaru pencil case. She fights back the tears as she can feel the adrenaline slowly leave her body. She was terrified at the possibility that she had lost the case. She wouldn't know how to replace something that means so much to her.

"I found her!" A high-pitched voice announces. Makoto glances up and sees Morgana bounding towards her. The rest of the Phantom Thieves turn the corner, almost frantically running towards her.

"You okay?" Ann asks, the first one kneeling next to Makoto. Haru pulls out a handkerchief from her pocket and starts cleaning away the dirt on Makoto's face.

"Yeah, I managed to find it," she brings up the case triumphantly for the group to see.

"Whassup with the pencil case? When you said you lost something, I thought it was like a homework assignment or somethin'," Ryuji asks, curious.

Makoto stares at it longingly, "It has sentimental value. It was one of the last things my father bought for me before he died." She could feel the mood drop as the Phantom Thieves' facial expressions dropped, Ryuji had even glanced away, feeling guilty for having asked. After all, in their band of misfits, not a single thief has a happy family. She winces, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring the mood do-"

"Don't worry about it, Makoto. We all have our reasons and it's nice that you trusted us to help you look," Ann reassures her.

"Yes, we now understand why it means so much to you, after all. So don't feel bad," Haru adds, smiling. Makoto could feel the tears threatening to spill out, but she fights them back with a relieved smile.

"Thank you, everyone."

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed Day 1!**


	2. The Wager (Prompt: Broadening Horizons)

**This is loosely based off my personal experience with Guild Wars 2 when I first started out this past summer. The majority of my friends played and they kept asking me to try it so I eventually did.**

* * *

Makoto's phone buzzes and she scowls. Here we go again. She opens up the same chatroom, knowing _exactly_ the content of the message.

Futaba: _IT'S TEQUATL TIME. THIS IS YOUR 5 MINUTE REMINDER TO GET ON_

She doesn't understand, nor does she think she ever will. But for some strange reason…at 8 PM every day, Futaba texts the group chat the same thing.

Ryuji: _OH CRAP! WAIT FOR ME!_

Ann: _Oh shoot, I think I'm gonna have to miss today's run. This math homework is really hard (T_ _T)_

Yusuke: _I suppose I will have to take a break for today. I've been struggling with this piece for a while. Perhaps Tequatl will inspire me._

Akira: _I don't think that's how it works…_

Haru: _Is it all right for me to join? I did start on the game rather late_

Ann: _Of course, Haru! I mean, if you want, you could always buy one of the expansions. You_ do _have the money_

Haru: _I'd rather accomplish the levelling on my own._

Futaba: _Okay, but don't forget. You're still ten levels under._

Ann: _Man, Haru should just buy one of the expansions. She can get her griffin with us._

Ryuji: _Speaking of which, Ann, when the hell are we gonna get ours?_

Ann: _I told you, once we get everyone to join us!_

Makoto rereads the messages over and over, trying to decipher the conversation. A while back, Futaba had discovered an MMORPG game that was free to play. She and Ryuji had been the first to try it out and over time, they got the rest of the members in on it. With little to no surprise, Akira had been the first to truly master the game, offering tips and the best combinations. Ryuji was always the first to die…Makoto assumes it's because he has to be the tank? She's still not sure about the terminology in the game.

She's heard them mention something like a Charr, which just looks like a large, bi-pedal cat, and a Nornn, which is just a larger human being. Honestly, she doubts she'll ever understand. There were just too many phrases being tossed around for her liking.

Her phone buzzes again.

Ryuji: _Makoto, are you gonna try out the game?_

Her fingers hover over the keyboard of her phone before shooting back a reply.

Makoto: _I've told you, Sae and I don't have anything that would be able to run video games._

Futaba: _But this game is super light on the graphics! Especially once you lower all the settings!_

Ann: _Yeah, if even Ryuji's ancient computer can run it, then yours definitely should!_

Ryuji: _Hey! (#_ _｀皿_ _)_

Ann: _It's true!_

Makoto sighs. This is probably the tenth time they've tried to get her to try out the game _in this past week_ …and they've been playing for the past two months! She glances at the calendar hanging off the wall of her bedroom. Maybe if she can bargain with them, they'll limit their request.

Makoto: _If all of you can pass your upcoming exams with flying colors, I'll download the game._

A response comes back almost instantly.

Ryuji: _WAIT FOR REAL?!_

Futaba: _SHE'S SERIOUS. IT'S HAPPENING_

Makoto, despite having seriously wagered with them, can't help but chuckle at their excitement. But before she can respond…

Akira: _You guys are missing Tequatl, by the way. The bone wall's already gone up._

Futaba: _NOOOOOOOOOO MY SPOONS_

* * *

"Mannnnn, I hope I place top 10," Ryuji yawns.

"You're supposed to be going for top 5 if you want Makoto to try out the game," Ann replies.

"Damnit, I know…but those exams kicked my ass. I'd be lucky if I get in the top 10. She knew Akira'd be able to do it easily so that's why she made it for all of us. Wait! Futaba doesn't have to do any of this! How's that fair?!"

"I'm sure she had a different wager with Fu- Oh, hang on." Ann pulls out her phone, prompting the other two to as well. A photo of test placements is the text message with Yusuke's name at the #2 spot.

Yusuke: _I hope this is enough._

* * *

In the student council room…

Makoto mulls over the implications of Yusuke placing second. She never specified the rank they needed to score but she knew anything below top 10 would have been an automatic deal-breaker. Yusuke has admitted he tends to struggle when it comes to anything that isn't towards his focus…which can be pretty much anything. The group hadn't had a study session for this particular exam, or at least, not with Makoto herself because she wanted to see how dedicated they were to get her to try out this game.

Deciding, she responds, _Yes, that counts, Yusuke._

Futaba: _Wowwww, the Queen is being merciful today!_

Makoto rolls her eyes with a smirk. _We need to wait and see on the others. It's not over yet._

A photo appears on her screen from Haru. _Makoto! You're at the top! I was hoping I'd beat you this time though!_

Haru's name is directly below her.

Makoto: _Don't worry; it counts. Now we just need to wait on the three. Fuaba's already sent me her part of the deal._

Yusuke: _What is it?_

Makoto: _It's between the two of us, I promised her that much._

Finally, the last photo appears, pushing up the conversation. Sure enough, Akira is listed as number one in his class. Her eyes widen when she sees Ann's name at 8th place. She turns the phone screen off when she sees where Ryuji is placed.

"Hey, she saw the message!" Ryuji announces.

"She's not responding though…" Ann comments.

The trio's phones vibrate at the same time and once Ryuji opens up his phone, he lets out his loudest cheer.

The message had been a photo from Makoto, downloading the game on her laptop. Above it, Ryuji's name can be seen next to the number 10.

* * *

Several Weeks Later

Futaba: _IT'S TEQUATL TIME. THIS IS YOUR 5 MINUTE REMINDER TO GET ON_

Ryuji: _Oy! Makoto's already on, the hell?!_

Ann: _Damn she really got into it._

Ryuji: _WAIT, SHE'S ALREADY LEVEL 80_

Futaba: _THAT MEANS WE CAN TAKE HER TO DO_ _THEM_.

Akira: The _real_ question is…does she have _it_?

Futaba: We'll find out soon enough. But first…FOR THE SPOONS

* * *

Several hours later…

"I always hate these damn…jumping…DAMN IT!" Ryuji's curses can be heard from Makoto's laptop as she frantically tries to lower the volume. She doesn't know how she'd be able to explain it to Sae that yes, she did download the game and yes, she did get to the max level. Granted, she won't be able to get the griffin any time soon but at least she managed to somehow grind to level 80.

Makoto herself effortlessly beats the jumping puzzles, her character waiting at the top with the rest of the team. Ann and Yusuke had to sit out because one, the fractals (dungeons) had a limit of five people in the party and two, because they had fallen behind on some assignments.

Makoto should have told them that they have to keep their grades up for the entirety of the year, but honestly, she would have probably kept playing regardless.

Ryuji's character, a human warrior, finally makes it to the top and she can still hear the string of curses coming from him.

"Man, Ryuji. You're still so loud," Morgana complains through Akira's headset.

"Shut it, Morgana! I don't see you trying to jump up these stupid blocks in the air!"

"Enough, we're getting close to the end of the fractal," Makoto stops them, her Norn character towering over them as always.

Ryuji sighs and lets her and Akira take the lead. Once they enter the area, the doors surrounding their characters close, leaving them trapped within the room. The final boss of the fractal appears and immediately, Futaba yells a battle cry.

"Let's kick his ass!" Ryuji declares.

"DOES ANYONE HAVE CC?!" Futaba demands.

"I do!" Haru calls out.

"DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE CC?!"

"Akira and I do! Watch the bar…and now!"

The boss is stunned and the five characters put everything they can into the fight.

Soon enough, the boss retreats and leaves the loot behind for them.

"You're really getting the hang of it, Makoto!" Haru congratulates her.

"Yes, I didn't think I'd get into it. But I'm online almost every night just in time for the daily boss now."

"At least you finally gave it a try!" Makoto can just feel Ryuji's grin on the other side of his screen.

"So what next, Makoto, in your MMO adventures?"

"I'd say she should broaden her horizons a bit more in the game…" Akira begins. "Like trying out a new race or even class."

"Such as?"

"Have you heard of the Revenant class?"

* * *

 **I really enjoyed writing this and if you have any questions about the game terminology, let me know! I am more than happy to explain what little I know of the game haha**


End file.
